WEDDING CAKE ISLAND (1980) by Midnight Oil

Wedding Cake Island was released on Midnight Oil's four track EP entitled Bird Noises in 1980. It was a surf guitar instrumental, and did not feature charismatic singer/front man Peter Garrett. Instead it was written by Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie and featured them on guitars. Garrett did say in interview in 1980 that it originally had his vocal over the top, which he described as 'libellous' and 'obscene'. This vocal was pulled, the record pressed and it was one of the few tracks bv the Oils which was played on radio. At that stage of their career, the band's large following was generated by their live shows, rather than the conventional media.

Wedding Cake Island is a rocky island outcrop, approximately a few hundred metres off Coogee Beach, Sydney, Australia. When the swell is right, there's good surfing to be had. Coogee is a beautiful beach (Australia has lots of them), and worth a visit, although you wouldn't bother going to Wedding Cake Island for a picnic unless you like rocky outcrops and getting wet.

Midnight Oil are a great band, and if you are not familiar with their music, check out their albums. They are an Australian band that had some success overseas, including the US (even with all the Aussie references in their songs). There is no video for this so I have made my own widescreen slideshow video, featuring images of the band, Wedding Cake Island, surfing, Coogee Beach etc.

Comments are welcome.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• wedding
• cake
• island
• midnight
• oil

[rockston1]

This is a great slide show to accompany Wedding Cake Island courtesy of Wilson McPhert. I had trouble finding this for a while - the original mcphert1 account, with a great playlist, has disappeared.

[wilsonmcphert]

@rockston1 Glad you found this clip. Most of the playlist is now on this channel.

[MrBondibeach]

Worth mentioning that the original version was put out by the Atlantics in the 60's!

[wilsonmcphert]

@MrBondibeach It certainly sounds like it would be an Atlantics original. However everything I can find, including Wikipedia, indicates that it was written by Midnight Oil (released 1980) and subsequently covered by the Atlantics in 2006 as part of the surf music documentary a few years back entitled 'Delightful Rain', with Midnight Oils' approval. If you have info to the contrary let me know. Thanks.

[rodpinball]

@wilsonmcphert Oils guitarist Martin Rotsey lived in a unit at Coogee beach. He wrote the song with some help from Jim Moginie. I believe it was played at Oil's shows a while before it was recorded. Much like The Break's "Birdman" track was an Oil's tune never recorded. I spoke to Jim many years ago about the song and he said it was a favourite of his. There is a version with lyrics by Garrett but I think Rob Hirst is the only person with a copy.

[wilsonmcphert]

@rodpinball Thanks for the background. Great.

[kwackaboy]

Still a beautiful piece of music.

[dalediamond]

midnight oil is one of australias iconic bands,i had the pleasure of seeing them over 40 times and was never disappointed,there was no other band at the time!!! they got me thru the 80s bless them. Diamond Dale

[mrwolf001]

@raresaturn " lines of swell 'round the Byron pass, mate"

[raresaturn]

What is the vocal at 2:24?

[Bruiser48]

@MrBondibeach I just realised this. Oils version much more polished at way better.

[Bruiser48]

If this song had come out in 1964 it would have been #1. I mean this in a positive way. One of the great guitar pieces of all time.

[jjperceval]

@wgooda for what?

[wgooda]

want a refund now

[tonipollard1]

this peice is a timeless reminder of the laidback aussie surf culture of the eighties,cheyne horans film ,scream in blue used it and i,m sure it has a special place in a lot of aussie surfers over at least two generations, reminds us of the goodlife,still nothing like a live oils concert.